


The Rock

by Tamasha



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Family, Fights, Fluff, Gay, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Modern Era, One Shot, Relationship(s), Romance, Short, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 00:46:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6032053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamasha/pseuds/Tamasha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is stressed and Arthur is trying. Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you have to deal with it as it comes. Arthur deals with it in an unexpected way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rock

**Author's Note:**

> written by Tamara

"I don’t want to talk about it, Arthur. We are going to be late and my mum has already called me twice asking if we are on our way. Let’s just go." Merlin couldn’t listen to anymore excuses, he just needed to get out of the house as soon as possible and get to his mum's for the party. All of his family from Ealdor had come into town for the week. Family was stressful enough for anyone, but especially for the Emrys'. This was simply because every member of Merlin’s family was far too energetic to see one another. At least Merlin knew where he had gotten it from.

But today was the last day Merlin wanted to see his family. He was in a foul mood because Arthur had said that he was going to be there with Merlin all day at the party, but then at the last minute had changed his mind and said was planning to go into work later in the evening. Arthur had made a promise and Merlin really didn’t want to be left alone all day. Plus, Merlin really wanted Arthur there to get to know his family better.

In Merlin’s opinion, Arthur was not going anywhere anytime soon - this was the "rest of my life" kind of boyfriend that Merlin was not used to having - so when Arthur had told him he was only going to be at the party for a few hours, Merlin couldn’t help but feel abandoned. Arthur was supposed to be there, supposed to be his support system and his other half, but he had prioritized work. Of course Merlin understood the importance of work, but Arthur could easily work on his case from home, and could have at any point the past few days. He didn’t have to go into the office to work on it. He didn't have to work on it that night either. He was just being difficult and making Merlin's life more miserable.

On top of everything, Arthur was also running late, as usual. "Come on, everyone is waiting for us!"

"I'm sorry," Arthur rushed into the room, hair damp from the shower and his red shirt unbuttoned.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "God, you are useless." He walked over to help Arthur fasten his shirt.

"You know," Arthur began, "I was trying to get some work done so I could stay later. You were so upset before -"

"How is working now giving us more time at the party when we are just going to be late anyway?" Merlin snapped.

"I... I don’t know." Arthur dropped his head and pushed Merlin’s hands away so he could finish the buttoning himself. "I just wanted to try to fix it," Arthur mumbled.

Merlin deflated and suddenly felt really guilty for making such a fuss about a family party. Really, in the end it didn't matter how long Arthur was there for, the fact that he was even coming while he had work to do should have been enough for Merlin. "I know, Arthur. I'm sorry."

"Can we just go?" Arthur didn’t meet Merlin's eye as he pushed past to the door.

In the car, the silence was palpable. Merlin felt tense and hot. He was still irritated that they were late, but he was also beginning to forgive Arthur. Even in the worst fights, Merlin was able to forgive quickly; he had a weakness for blondes - especially prattish blondes with bright blue eyes that had the most heartwarming glow about them. They drove the 30 minutes to Merlin’s mum's house in silence.

When Arthur parked, he let out a puff of air so loud Merlin thought he had held his breath the entire way there. "I don’t want to fight, Merlin."

"I know, me neither. I'm sorry, Arthur." Merlin folded his hands anxiously in his lap. When Arthur was quiet like this it meant he was thinking hard about something. Merlin really dreaded what Arthur had planned to say.

Arthur just shook his head and pulled out the key from the ignition. "I don't want you to think I am not trying or that I work on purpose to make you upset -"

"I'm don't think that, Arthur!" Merlin reached out to touch Arthur’s shoulder, but he pulled away.

"You do. You assumed that I didn't want to come today and took it personally. But I wouldn't ever want to make you unhappy, and I thought you knew that..."

"Arthur," Merlin breathed.

"I guess I haven't been doing a good job of showing it, have I?"

He turned to give Merlin teary look that broke Merlin’s heart. "Arthur, don't you dare think you are not good enough!" Merlin could feel his own tears pricking at his own eyes, but he willed them down. "I was frustrated, that's all, it happens even to the best of us... I don't believe you did it on purpose to get out of this."

"I want to marry you."

Merlin didn’t really know what that had to do with anything, because they were about to go into his mum's house for a party and he didn’t think Arthur was trying to abandon him on purpose to get out of the party and did Arthur just say he wanted to marry him?

"What?"

"We just need to be on the same page; if you are frustrated, I want to know. And if my actions are upsetting you, I want to know immediately so we can work it out together. Okay?"

"Yes, Arthur, I know. I love you, fight over, I get it, but what did you just say?"

"No," Arthur said, much less upset, but still a bit confused, "fight is not over, you have to understand that -"

"Arthur!" Merlin interjected. "Stop."

"But -"

"I want to marry you too." Merlin took off his seatbelt, which he had just realized he was still wearing, and leaned in for a kiss.

Arthur smiled at Merlin quickly and accepted happily.

"This wasn’t a proposal, you know, right?"

"What?" Merlin asked incredulously.

Arthur smiled triumphantly. "No way! I want to be asked properly, with flowers and everything."

"I could get a violinist and a harp. No one will be playing the harp, it will just sit there to look pretty."

"Oh," Arthur said, feigned disappointment painted on his face. "Well, I will definitely have to get a harpist for my proposal to you then."

"At least one of us will be getting true romance," Merlin added before he kissed Arthur again.

Arthur pulled at Merlin's freshly ironed shirt, that definitely would need to be ironed again, and moaned softly. "I love you forever, M."

"Hm, that's really long," Merlin considered. "I don’t think I could love you forever."

Arthur's frown seemed more genuine this time, almost too hesitant for Merlin to bear. "Really?" he asked.

"Nope. I think I'll love you a bit longer than that, but only a little."

Arthur groaned, but it was one of his I-need-to-pretend-you-annoy-me-but-you-really-don't-because-I-love-you-more-than-I-know-how-to-express kind of groans that was far too endearing to not kiss off Arthur’s lips. So Merlin did.

When they walked into the party, far later than they should have been, Merlin didn’t mind anymore. All the stress he had been feeling was left somewhere back by the car in the dirt, long forgotten. Arthur stayed till the end of the party, putting off his work for the morning. Merlin, in turn, had tried to get out of the party as soon as possible because Arthur had to work - but really he wanted to have some alone time with his new fiancé and Arthur was looking particularly regal that night. It might have been his hair. It might have been the whisky Merlin’s uncle had given him, or it might have been that despite the fucking world that made things so complicated, Arthur wasn’t complicated, he wasn't complicated at all. Arthur was golden and solid and the perfect rock for Merlin to build his unstable life on.   


**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a stressful family weekend of my own. Merlin and Arthur are much better at dealing with life’s problems than us normal folk.


End file.
